Experimental Evaluation of Kaiser Bolted Bracket Steel Moment-Resisting Connections

The Kaiser bolted bracket (KBB) is a new beam-to-column moment connection that consists of proprietary cast high-strength steel brackets that are fastened to the flanges of a beam and then bolted to a column. This fully restrained connection is designed to eliminate field welding in steel moment frame construction. This paper summarizes the development of bolted bracket connections and presents the results of seven full-scale KBB tests. These tests were conducted to evaluate the connection for both the retrofit of existing and the construction of new steel moment frames. More specifically the tests were intended to assess the ductility of the connection under cyclic inelastic loading and to qualify their performance with respect to code requirements.